Be alive with me tonight…
by Gianni Lee
Summary: Thane/Fem Shepard: With hours until they face the unknown of the Omega 4 Relay Thane finds himself battling his feelings of shame and turns to Shepard for comfort.


Thane/Fem Shepard: With hours until they face the unknown of the Omega 4 Relay Thane finds himself battling his feelings of shame and finds himself turning to Shepard for comfort.

The characters, game content and materials in the following story are copyrighted to BioWare. Neither I, nor this story, are endorsed by or affiliated with BioWare, or its licensors or subsidiaries. I do not receive any monetary compensation from the publication of this narrative. All Rights Reserved.

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Be alive with me tonight…

"Commander, we need to refuel before hitting the Omega 4 relay. Our new ETA is 2 hours, 45 minutes." Joker updates over the intercom.

"Understood." Kaiya Shepard says, a moment before stepping into her shower.

She enjoys her shower with the hot water pounding the tight muscles of her shoulders. She lets her mind drift and fill with lustful thoughts of a certain drell assassin. She has made use of the resources Mordin had given her after his surprising sex talk with her; she has also done some of her own research on the extranet. During her searching she found an excellent drell/human site which is full of helpful tips and advice. Tips such as taking folic acid can help reduce the chance of hallucinations when coming into oral contact, and avoid "the red areas". She also learned that drell saliva does not induce hallucinations, meaning its safe to kiss your drell lover.

With a sigh she turns off the water and smoothes on the after shower oil which is chemically identical to the ointment Mordin had given, with out smelling like crap. She took it upon herself to search the extranet for other remedies that smelled better. After all while she is a soldier sometimes a girl doesn't want to smell like one of the boys. On another site she found a member who makes an after shower oil which helps soothes and minimizes the irritation for humans and it smells of vanilla. So of course Kaiya ordered several bottles, which were delivered to a shop on the Citadel who agreed to hold her orders in exchange for an endorsement. For months she has been using it faithfully…just in case.

She wants to visit him, to spend what could be their last moments together, but she decided long ago that if anything were to happen, it would be his decision…his move. She dresses in her casual attire, brushes her hair and then paces about her cabin, fighting the urge to run to life support. She would not rush him into something he might not be ready for…but damn it she wanted him. Nervous energy she decided, she hated the wait before storming into impossible odds.

After feeding her fish for the third time she sits at her desk hoping that by indulging in her guilty pleasure for fantasy stories she'd distract herself from her more carnal thoughts. She was about to signal her datapad to turn the page when her cabin door opens and Thane walks in.

"Thane..." she starts, and then stops seeing his serious look and sensing the heavy atmosphere about him.

"Siha, I - -" he starts, and then stops, as if unsure on how to proceed. He begins pacing, starting again. "I have known I will die for many years. I've tried to leave the galaxy better then I found it."

She sits silently, listening to the assassin spill his soul. He finds it difficult to look at her, deciding it to be easier to turn his back to her as he continues "You've helped me achieve more than I thought possible. We've righted many wrongs...I've spoken with my son."

"I should be at peace on the eve of the battle." He says, turning to face her.

She moves out of her chair and towards him, gently grabbing his arms "Stop. Don't give me a speech."

"I'm ashamed." He confesses, vulnerable eyes rolling up to lock with hers, as if pleading for understanding.

She cups his face; in an attempt to fight off his fears, a response he meets by brushing her hand away and turning his back to her. It is as if something is forcing him to speak the words. He walks over to her desk, tears streaming down his face he punches it out of frustration.

"I have worked so hard. Meditated and prayed and done good deeds. Atoned for the evils I've done. Prepared." He looks over his shoulder at her. Unable to meet her concerned filled eyes, he looks away as if he is not worthy to gaze upon her.

"I consider my body's death and a chill settles in my gut, I am afraid, and it shames me." Thane's fist still press to the desk begins to trembles with powerful emotions, as Shepard's hand gently covers his.

"Thane..." she whispers. "Be alive with me tonight." She presses her lips to his. Her kiss surprises him, but is not unwelcome. She pulls back, giving him a moment to decide the next step, he responds by pulling her close and kissing her again, tasting her mouth. He has not allowed himself this pleasure since Irikah's murder, and never with a female of another species. He is surprised by how soft she feels in his hands. Her skin, her hair, her lips are the softest he has ever encountered. The soft, smooth scent of a spice he's yet to discover is subtle as it comes from her skin.

Suddenly he pulls back, gently gripping her upper arms. "Siha, stop." He says, unable to meet her pained and confused gaze.

Her heart leaps to her throat and stops beating, and her breath catches in her lungs until he speaks again. "There are…risks." He begins, still unable to meet her eyes. "I don't…wish you harm."

"Thane." She cups his face, gently forcing him to look into her pale eyes. "I know the risks, and have taken precautions." She assures.

"You…have?"

"Yes." She whispers. Her hands slide up his chest, then over his shoulders pushing his jacket to the floor. Once free of the garment his hands cup her face, fingers careful to avoid the faint facial scar running along her lower jaw, unsure of the reaction they would bring. His lips move to her throat, she rolls her head back sighing softly. Needing to feel her closer, he lifts her up, she responds by wrapping her legs about his waist and gripping his shoulders for support. Again his lips explore her neck, savoring the taste of her alien skin. Still holding her, she manages to pull off her shirt, revealing more of the intoxicating tanned flesh he is now eager to explore. He kisses and licks her collar bone, working his way down her chest.

She tugs at his vest, but is at the wrong angle to remove it. Understanding her unspoken wish, she returns her to her feet and pulls off the garment. Now it's his turn to breath her name as her mouth gingerly explores his throat and collar bone. Finger tips gingerly run down his chest. Fingers become hands as she slips her arms around his waist and up his back. The scaly texture of his skin is warm and supple, unlike the texture of lizards back on Earth. She presses her lips to his, marveling at the warmth of his skin and the taste of his kisses. He wraps one arm about her shoulders, running his hand through her silken black hair as the other snakes around her waist. Her fingers find the slight ridge on either side of his lower spine. Clever and nimble digits gently follow that ridge to a small harden crest at the small of his back where she begins to massage it.

"Siha!" he groans, throwing his head back. His eyes close, breath caught in his throat while his fingers dig into her flesh with bruising force.

Showing mercy she releases him, steps back, and removes her bra, casually tossing it aside. He has only a moment to marvel at her beauty, before she takes his hand and guides him towards the foot of her bed. The last of their clothing falls away before she pushes him on the mattress and straddles his waist. He scooted back onto the bed as she crawled over him, a hungry look in her eyes. She presses her body to his, her kisses becomes more passionate, pinning his shoulders to the bed. Her hands explore the warmth of his skin, memorizing the unexpected supple texture of it, pulling small guttural sounds from him in the process. His hands continue to explore her silky flesh, savoring the similarities and differences between her and drell women. The slender waist and full hip similar to drell women, but her breasts are larger, and suppler. He enjoys the sounds she makes when he explores them with hands, mouth and tongue.

She in turns enjoys surprising him with her knowledge of drell anatomy. She trails kisses down his chest and then sprinkling them along his abdomen and hips. Her fingers run up his thighs to his groin. Her hands and mouth explored his erection, finding the best combination of mouth and hands to pull the most sounds from him. She learns where to nibble and where to lick to cause his back to arch, his breath to catch in his throat, and his hands to claw at the bedding.

"Siha...Siha, please...mercy" He pants.

"Sit up." She orders her voice low and throaty from her own need. He quickly obeys and after a moment of repositioning, she guides him inside.

He nearly cries out from the sensation as she whispers his name, and to him it is like a summer a breeze carrying the promise of rain. Slowly she begins to rise and fall, gripping his shoulders for support; he lets his hands play across the plains of her back. Her head rolls back, his name continuing to escape her lips in soft gasping sighs. Human women, as Thane soon learns, have an internal muscle structure drell women do not, and when she flexes those muscles it catches him off guard.

"How do you do that with your-" he's cut off by a groan as she flexes those muscles again. "Siha…" he groans, closing eyes, to focus on the physical sensation of her.

She continues to ride him; her storm soon envelopes him, pulling him from his hiding places until he is naked before the gods. She is the blessed rain to his desert, bringing life where life was forgotten; and it isn't long until his name becomes the thunder in their storm, rolling and booming. Her face becomes the icon of ecstasy as she looses herself in pleasure.

He holds her close, and using his wiry strength, he pulls her beneath him. She raises her hips, matching his thrusts, with her own rhythm. He buries his face in her sweet smelling hair, as he keeps the rhythm slow. This may be their last night, soon they go through the Omega 4 Relay and if they survive that there was no guarantee they'd survive the Collectors. He wants this moment to last, a moment to embrace this fleeting gift of life. She arches and writhes beneath him, her hips grinding into his as she continues calling his name. He allows himself to get lost in her, as her fingers once again find the ridge at the small of his back.

"Thane!" she cries out a moment before her climax hits, pulling him over the edge as well.

"Siha. Oh, Siha." He pants. She cups the back of his neck and pulls him down for a long kiss. Finally he rolls off of her and she curls up next to him, resting her head on his chest. He holds her close, allowing his pride to drink the fine wine of her contented sighs.

His mind replays a conversation she was having with crew a few days ago, in which they were discussing their names and the meanings behind them. It was then that he learned that her name is unusual among humans, a mix of "Japanese" and "American". When asked the meaning behind her name she never got the chance to answer, as Joker had announced that she had a message from the council.

"Siha…" he began softly, his curiosity piqued.

"Hmm?" she sleepily responded.

"You and the crew were speaking a few days ago about the meanings behind your names. What is the meaning of your name?" he asks.

"Kaiya?" she asks.

"Yes."

"It means forgiven." She muttered, snuggling against him and falling asleep in his arms.

Every last bit of stress he may have had vanishes. The gods had heard his prayers, watched the deeds he had performed and were pleased by his meditations. They had sent him a Siha, as a final test and a symbol of their absolution. She represented their willingness to welcome him to their domain when his time comes. The chill that had settled in this gut upon thinking of his body's death melted as he holds his Siha tighter.


End file.
